Blog
(* % of Clients Retained)
The three Keys of The Infinite Banking Concept® for Canadians
Let’s face it, As Canadians, we are bombarded with ideas, strategies and concepts from the USA all the time. It is tough to get clear and concise information on what works in the frozen north. Ok, this sounds like a great idea but how does it work in Canada? It’s like the maple leaf has us “on guard” for anything negative that can happen.
I know the feeling. As a Real Estate Investor who’s spent a ton of money to learn creative financing, lease options, rent to own, wholesaling, rehabbing, short selling and just about every real estate method out there… the devil is in the details. In fact, it was this journey that ultimately led me to order a copy of R. Nelson Nash’s book Becoming Your Own Banker.
Much like you, I’d met “gurus” and coaches of all kinds in the Real Estate and personal development space attending courses all over North America. Overall, most of the ideas were solid and could be implemented. The issue was always the little things that could make the deal go south when it was crunch time.
Ok Richard, what’s the good news?
The good news is that IBC is really a Concept…it’s even in the title. After coaching with Nelson for some time, I have a better understanding of why he coined the name.
Infinite – because if something is finite, you place a limitation on it. It is infinite because the power of the human mind is. It is our creativity and the ideas we may come up with to implement this cash flow management strategy on the road of life.
Banking – An action word. It Is used in this context to both describe the flow of capital from one place to another as well as the Warehousing or storage of capital. For example, Canadian Blood Services would store donated blood in a “blood bank.” In any good Canadian winter, roads need to be cleared and plowed which stores the excess snowfall in a “snow bank.” Every Christmas many Canadian families support those less fortunate by increasing the deposits into the “Food Bank.” In much the same way “privatized banking” using well structured high cash value Participating Whole Life Insurance can mimic this same process but for the average Canadian family.
Concept – something conceived in the mind, organized around a central idea or theme. Just like Tesla will come out with a “Concept Car” every year at the annual car shows, these ideas are the things that are possible. Just because they build the concept car doesn’t mean it will enter full production. IBC is based on sound financial principles of savings and accumulation and treating the usage of your own capital resources with a cost (an opportunity cost). By implementing this Economic Value Add (EVA) principle, by default, you will have created a heightened level of forced saving and increased discipline around the usage of your money. This reduces or eliminates your dependency on outside financing resources over time.
So what are the three keys of IBC?
It’s actually straightforward. These three keys all tie to the liberation of your savings with some essential efficiencies and the right mindset to put it into action.
- Access and control of your money.
You want to be in the driver’s seat of your financial life and stop abdicating the responsibility of it to other people. Therefore, you require a safe, predictable, storage location for your wealth and savings that provides a high level of liquidity, is efficient, protected or insulated by various market risks and geopolitical turmoil, and is insured in the event something dire were to happen to you such as dying early.
- Uninterrupted Compounding.
One of the largest destroyers of wealth is something we generally cannot see. It is the lost opportunity cost of our own capital as we send it out into the world to pay for the things of life. Things like – cars, trucks, computers, Christmas gifts, vacations, child’s education, renovations, taxes, investments (some of these don’t work out creating a double pain event), charitable causes and tithing to name a few. By honouring the mindset of an “HONEST BANKER” who pays themselves first and for the use of their own capital and combining it with the efficiency of Specially Designed Participating Whole Life Insurance Contracts (SDLIC), you can establish a compound effect. Best of all, there is both guarantees and the potential of consistent long-term dividends to augment this method over a lifetime. The Policy Owners behaviour is critical to the process.
- Flexibility.
Life has a way of throwing curve-balls at us all. It is dynamic, changing and often unpredictable from week to week, year to year. The Canadian economy, Job market, fluctuating oil price, the rapid increase in technology, family changes and many other factors directly impact your family and business cash flow. Building a measure of flexibility into a well-designed IBC strategy creates peace of mind, reduces stress and can allow for better financial decision making over the long haul. When you are empowered with knowledge on how these Par Dividend paying contracts work you can have a reasonable level of control over your premium deposits, rider options, contract adjustments, collateral loans or policy loans and the repayment terms of these loans.
IBC is not for everyone. It is also not a magic financial “cure-all,” and it is not intended to be a replacement for your retirement fund or retirement accounts. But for those that implement and have a basic commitment to their long term financial success if can be as Nelson Nash says:
“A peaceful, stress-free way of life that is ridiculously simple.”
An Authorised practitioner who is well versed in Nelson’s teachings can show you how your money can work harder by doing several things at one while being stored in one of the safest and most protected places for your cash in the country. For the right person, it can be an effective method to grow your wealth more securely, a technique to use your assets to help fuel other strategic investments or business growth, and a traditional savings vehicle that will most likely leave your bonds and GIC’s in the dust.
The incredible Legacy of R. Nelson Nash, Founder and Pioneer of The Infinite Banking Concept®
I was deeply saddened, On Wednesday, March 27, 2019. I was informed that R. Nelson Nash, my dear friend, my mentor, and a person who has changed more lives than you can possibly imagine, the man who created the Infinite Banking Concept®, passed away. This news comes 2 weeks after Nelson crossed his 88th revolution around the sun.
You can read the official obituary here from the Nelson Nash Institute: March 15, 1931 – March 27, 2019
Nelson would refer to this as “graduation day”. A deeply Christian man, his faith was a critical aspect to him. Actually, …it was his faith and prayer that helped him discover the IBC method in the early 1980s when his world was turned upside down.
Anyone who met Nelson could immediately feel the presence of the man. He was humble, and he had a way to draw you in that was absolutely captivating. Few people have made an impact on the planet like Nelson. This impact is so wide and vast that it will continue through the work we do to carry on his incredible concept and teach the IBC method in the way Nelson would have wanted. I am thankful for the Nelson Nash Institute that will carry on through David Stearns (Nelson’s son in law), Carlos Lara and Robert P. Murphy. Together with my fellow colleagues all over North America who are Authorized Practitioners of the Nelson Nash Institute, we honour this amazing human being by spreading his light, his gift of IBC into the world to help more and more families do what Nelson would say;
“pushing back the barriers of financial ignorance, halleluiah!” – R. Nelson Nash
Nelson had many brushes with “graduation” during his 88 years in this world. Most notably was his quadruple bypass heart surgery approximately 30 years ago. In many chats with Nelson, he stated that it was this moment where chance and fate aligned to save his life. It was recovering from surgery that he realized his purpose in life was to share his message. That he was “called” here for a reason and he needed to get to work and get the message of The Infinite Banking Concept® out.
This led to the creation of his 10-hour seminar and eventually BYOB being published in 2000.
When I sat with Nelson in his home last month, he shared with me and my good friend Winnie Lau, that this last 20 years has been the best of his life and he was immensely grateful for the many practitioners teaching IBC and thousands of people across the globe that have made decision to embrace the IBC method into your lives. As we sat in Nelson’s home office, he shared volumes of knowledge about his research into the last 135 years of history (that Nelson lived through 65% of), and the interconnected world of global banking that has created so many problems of today. On his coffee table were stacks of books. Most of these were thicker than 1 inch and were filled with post-it notes and bookmarks. He loved to learn, loved to read, and continued to share his wisdom, his time and to work productively until his final days.
March 27,2019 was a hard day, but also a day to rejoice. Nelson had been experiencing several ailments that were beginning to make life more difficult and he was very well prepared for this event. More so than anyone I have met. It also marked the first time in over 3 years that fellow IBC practitioners and colleagues of mine Winnie Lau and George Roth spoke together and delivered a live introduction to IBC session to some new folks who are excited to start this process. It was a fitting way to celebrate R. Nelson Nash by carrying on his legacy in this manner.
In January 2018, I was invited by my good friend Jayson Lowe, to be involved in creating a documentary film called “This is Nelson Nash.” It was screened in February 2019 to approximately 200 people (including Nelson’s Cardiologist…an Infinite Banker lol), Sometime in 2019 it will be released from the Nelson Nash Institute and help generations of people to understand more about this incredible man. Nelson’s legacy will live on. The real work begins now. Nelson would say;
“So, what, you have a telephone. Big deal. You may have the best delivery system in the world, you may have the best message in the world…but if you do not have a receptive listener on the other end of the line you don’t have anything! So, thank you… thank you for being a receptive listener!”
Nelson was easily the most influential person in my life. He started to become that before I had even met the man… what an incredible feat.
In February of 2012, when I first met Nelson and attended his 10 hour seminar, it was like getting a new hard drive installed in my brain. He opened doorways about how to think differently than I had never considered. He was also one of the most entertaining people who always knew the right way to tell a story with a punchline that left you wanting more. He had me howling in laughter on many occasions. His teaching, his books, and his investment in me as a caring human being have forever blessed and changed the course of my families life. When I read Becoming Your Own Banker in 2009 for the first time, I found what I had been looking for my whole life. A way to truly and deeply serve by increasing financial literacy and empowering others to take control back over their financial life.
This is a life well lived. This is an inspiration for how to show up in the world and be of service to others. Nelson, I will continue to honour you and I will model your example to the best of my abilities. I will do as you requested by continuing to seek out high-quality seeds and planting them in fertile soil.
For all that you have done for my family Nelson, for my client’s families and for being the most amazing friend. I loved you dearly and will miss you.
To Mary, and the Nash family. I am so truly sorry for your loss and I wanted to say thank you for allowing Nelson to continue sharing his gifts with the world the way he wanted until the very end. Bless you all for this.
I leave you with some keys from Nelson and his final interview which has wonderful stories of his life and tales from his own mentors that are beautiful.
Bob Murphy Show – Episode 20 Nelson Nash Talks About Leonard Read, Crashing Planes, and Getting the Bankers Out of Your Life: https://www.bobmurphyshow.com/ep-20-nelson-nash-talks-abo…/…
Nelson Nash’s 5 Rules of IBC:
1. Think long-range – understand that what you do today impacts your future and the generations that follow you
2. Don’t be afraid to capitalize – “Whoever heard of a business failing because it had too much capital?” -R. Nelson Nash
3. Don’t steal the peas – Practice the Economic Value Add Principle and make a strategic plan to replace your capital when you use it, in other words, be an honest banker
4. Don’t do business with banks – “What a peaceful stress-free way of life it is when you get the banks out of your life” – R. Nelson Nash
5. Rethink your thinking – Challenge the financial noise that is out in the world and your own biases, be open and willing to learn new things always. Avoid the paralysis of the mind by “arriving” in knowledge and not being willing to learn new and wonderful things.